Psychological examination ordered for 'Qanon Shaman' months after Capitol riot
Jacob Chansley was allegedly photographed wearing a furry hat with horns and face paint inside the Senate dais
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A judge ordered a psychological examination for Jacob Chansley, the self-described "Qanon Shaman" who was allegedly photographed carrying a spear inside the Senate dais during the Capitol riot while wearing face paint and a furry hat with horns.
Judge Royce Lamberth ordered that Chansley, who is from Phoenix, Ariz., undergo a "competency examination" in the next 30 days that will determine whether he is "presently suffering from a mental disease or defect rendering him mentally incompetent to the extent that he is unable to understand the nature and consequences of the proceedings against him."
Chansley, 33, was arrested just three days after the Capitol riot and unsuccessfully sought a pardon from then-President Donald Trump.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}His attorney, Albert Watkins, told Fox News that he requested the Judge order a psychological examination.
US Capitol police officers try to stop supporters of US President Donald Trump, including Jake Angeli (R), a QAnon supporter known for his painted face and horned hat, to enter the Capitol on January 6, 2021, in Washington, DC. (SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)
Chansley wrote in an apology letter that he and others were "having a very difficult time piecing together all that happened to us, around us, and by us."
"We are good people who care deeply about our country," Chansley wrote from jail.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}HOUSE APPROVES LEGISLATION TO FORM JAN. 6 BIPARTISAN COMMISSION TO INVESTIGATE CAPITOL RIOT
Watkins gave a controversial interview to Talking Points Memo this week in which he said his client has Asperger’s syndrome.
"A lot of these defendants — and I’m going to use this colloquial term, perhaps disrespectfully — but they’re all fu----- short-bus people. These are people with brain damage, they’re fu----- retarded, they’re on the god---- spectrum," Watkins told Talking Points Memo.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"But they’re our brothers, our sisters, our neighbors, our coworkers — they’re part of our country," he added.
Watkins told Fox News he has "no regrets" about the interview.
Jacob Chansley was moved from a Washington, D.C. jail to a Virginia facility weeks after being arrested. (Alexandria Sheriff's Office)
Chansley lost 20 pounds after not eating for nine days when he was first arrested because the jail he was in did not have organic food, Watkins previously said in court.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The judge eventually ordered authorities to provide Chansley with an organic diet, which Watkins said Chansley considers to be part of his "shamanic belief system and way of life."
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Chansley was originally arrested on Jan. 9 on charges of knowingly entering or remaining in a restricted building without lawful authority, as well as violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds.